Monza. With the arrival of the beautiful season, the walks in the Monza Park hey city tour they become an irresistible attraction for both residents and visitors. But Monza is not just a destination to admire nature and architecture: it is also a place where stories and the legends come to life, offering a different and fascinating way to explore the city. Between ancient myths and mysterious tales, the female figures who populate these narratives add a touch of magic and curiosity, making Monza a unique destination for those who want to immerse themselves in a past full of enigmas and adventures.
THE 4 MYSTERIOUS WOMEN OF MONZA
The young lover of Monza who recalls Shakespeare’s Juliet
As in all breathtaking places that are respected, there are myths and legends in the Monza Park. And speaking of legends, one has it that two ghosts wander right inside the park: they are the lovers Rosa de’ Peregalli from Peregallo and Gian Guidotto de’ Lesmi from Lesmo, belonging to two rival families who lived in their castles in the Monza area in the 14th century. The story goes that after a dense exchange of letters had secretly, the two decided to get married clandestinely with the help of a hermit friar in Santa Maria delle Selve. Always according to legend however, shortly after Gian Guidotto would have been stabbed to death in Bosco Bello by Guido de’ Peregalli, Rosa’s relative. In full response Rosa would have lost her life by drinking deadly poison given to her by a relative of her late husband. Shakespearean, right? It is said that a burial urn with a Latin inscription in memory of the unfortunate couple was present in the woods until the eighteenth century.
The ghost of Queen Teodolinda
According to legend, the ghost of the Lombard queen, who reigned in Monza between 570 and 602 and was responsible for the construction of the basilica of San Giovanni, wanders the streets of the city. Many citizens would in fact have recognized her in the area of Piazza Trento and Trieste. The National Ghost Uncover investigation would have eliminated any doubt. It would seem that Teodolinda’s noble spirit materialized several times, between the War Memorial and the Town Hall – just below the windows of the Mayor’s office. Noble and romantic, was she perhaps in the mood for serenades?
From what is reported on the Milanofree.it website, Massimo Merendi, national president of the National Ghost Uncover association – which investigates possible paranormal presences and events, with its headquarters in Riccione, has arrived in the Brianza capital to investigate and delve deeper into the question: as mysterious as it is captivating. Here is what emerged:
“Some reported seeing a blurry image,” says Merendi. “Others, however, were luckier and saw the full-length ghost, dressed in a white tunic, bejeweled and with something on her head that looked like a crown.”
Merendi’s association reportedly recorded 16 official sightings of Teodolinda’s ghost, “Be careful though” clarifies Merendi “we are not ghost hunters like the American ones. Our task is only to record any reports and identify the point where the visions would have occurred, only in this way could we exclude the presence of electromagnetic fields that could be misleading.”
Mata Capina, the witch of Monza Park
It seems that Mata Capina was one huge woman, dressed in rags. She used to pass through Monza dragging with her a large cart loaded with objects, tools and junk to her lair: in the Monza Park. It is thought that she was a real one alchemist witch, capable of transforming the secrets of plants and flowers into powerful healing medicines: it was to her that, secretly under the branches of the beautiful forest, the people of Monza asked for the best care for their children, relatives and friends. But she is not alone: to look for the witch, the fairies and the giant, you have to wait until September 12th, date of full moonand then search with your gaze in the darkness: it appears from afar, in the shadow of the night, with the cart trudging through the silent leaves.
This mysterious woman is also talked about in the children’s book “The mystery of the missing painting”.
Amira, the “little mermaid” of Monza
Legend has it that Theodoric the Greatking of the Ostrogoths, had his palace built in Monza, near what is today Cortelonga. His nephew also lived in the building with him. Dagobert, this is the boy’s name, he loved riding in the woods around the city. At one of the places where his horse refreshed himself by drinking, a frog jumped onto the young man’s hand and then dived back into the water.
This scene was repeated every time Dagoberto and his horse stopped to drink until, on a full moon night, the young man, hearing a loud croaking, looked out the window of his room which overlooked the Pratum Magnum, part of the current Piazza Trento and Trieste, where the watercourse from which the horse drank flowed. It is precisely here that he saw many frogs arranged around that very little frog that he always encountered on his horseback riding. The frog was hit by a beam of moonlight and transformed into a beautiful girl who greeted him and disappeared.
From that night Dagoberto waited at the window hoping for the young woman’s return. Meanwhile, the summer continued and with it the drought which completely dried up the river, causing the frogs to die. Dagoberto then finding “his” frog, placed it on a leaf and buried it.
The night was torn apart by a violent storm which ended as suddenly as it had begun. The young man then looked out the window again and saw a ray of moonlight hitting the very spot where he had buried the frog shortly before, now covered in water from the storm.
And here again appears the beautiful girl who, walking on the moonbeam, reached Dagoberto at the window, whispering to him: “thank you for helping me: I am Amira the frog princess and now I have to return to my kingdom.” She kissed him and disappeared.
Even today, when the pond has disappeared, history is remembered in the center of Monza by a beautiful fountain depicting Princess Amira, surrounded by her friends.
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